Four-way valve



Nov. 13, 1945. J. B. wHaTTED 2,3%890 FOUR-WAY VALVE Filed July 27, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 27, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Maggy-1- Patented Nov. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUR-WAY VALVE John B. Whitted, Evanston, Ill., assignor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Virginia Application July 27, 1943, Serial No. 496,353

3 Claims. (Cl. 251-108) My invention relates to four-way valves and is more particularly concerned with, but not limited to, valves for controlling the supply of ventilating air to the cabins or other closed spaces of aircraft.

In present aircraft practice, it is common to provide one or more heaters for heating ventilating air supplied to the cabin or other enclosed spaces in aircraft. With certain types of heaters, failure of the heater to operate properly may result in contaminating the heated Ventilating air with large quantities of carbon monoxide gas and it is an object of my invention to provide a valve which may quickly be shifted effectively to prevent appreciable quantities of carbon monoxide from reaching the cabin or other enclosed space before the heater can be shut oi or its operation corrected.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple, light, inexpensive and eicient valve which can be readily adjusted to provide any desired temperature control of the Ventilating air for a cabin or other closed space.

, Another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved four-way Valve aiording a maximum variation in the Ventilating air with a minimum travel of the movable part of the valve.

' Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a preferred form of four-way valve embodying my invention, showing an electric control mechanism applied thereto for shifting the movable element or vane of the valve. In this figure the vane is shown in position to seal the cabin against air discharged by the heater;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1 viewed from the right of that figure;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the valve showing the vane in position to direct heated, Ventilating air to the cabin;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the vane in position to admit a mixture of heated and cold air to the cabin;

Y Fig. 5 is another view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the vane in position to admit only cold air to the cabin; and

Fig. 6 is an end view ofthe large end of the movable vane.

, The preferred form of my invention shown in the drawings comprises a valve body l0 formed of a die casting, or in any other suitable manner. The body l0 has a generally cylindrical portion l2 closed at one end by an integral part I4 of the casting I0. The other end of the cylindrical body I2 is provided with integral brackets I6 to which a cover plate I8 is secured by screws 20, or in any other suitable manner. A shaft 22 is rotatably mounted in the body I 'and carries a movable element or vane 24 for rotation therewith. In the particular embodiment shown in the' drawings, this shaft 22 and vane .24 are shifted to any desired position by an electric control mechanism 26 of the type disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 499,336, led August 20, 1943, although any other suitable means may be provided for shifting the shaft 22 and vane 24.

As more clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the vane 24 may be formed of a single strip of sheet metal bent to provide a curved sealing portion 28, inclined portions 30 and 32, and parallel portions 34 and 36. The same piece of sheet metal may also include triangular sides 38 and 40 integral with one of the inclined portions and bent inwardly, as shown in Fig. 6, and the free edges welded or soldered to the other inclined portion and rounded sealing portion. While it is convenient and inexpensive to make the vane of a single piece of sheet metal, this vane may be made in any other suitable manner and is shown as being attached to its supporting shaft by screws 42.

The valve body I0 is provided with a cold air inlet 44 adapted to be attached to a pipe leading from a ram or other suitable source of atmospheric air. This cold air inlet 44 is co-axial with a heated air inlet 46 which is adapted to be connected directly to the-Ventilating air outlet of a heater or to a pipe connected to the Ventilating air' outlet of one or more heaters. For convenience, the common axis of the cold air inlet 44 and the heated air inlet 46 will be referred to as the major axis of the valve.

The body I is also provided with a cabin outlet 48 adapted to be connected with a pipe for conducting Ventilating air to the aircraft cabin or other space or spaces to which such air is to be supplied. This cabin outlet 48 has a center line located at an angle of from-the major axis of the heater, measured in a clockwise direction. The body l0 is also provided with an overboard or discharge outlet 50 adapted to be connected with a pipe leading to atmosphere. This overboard outletl has a center line located at a 60 angle from the major axis of. the heater, measured in a counterclockwise direction.

The inlets 44 and 46 and outlets 48 and 50 project radially from the cylindrical portion of the body Hl and terminate in pipe-like ends which may be readily attached to connecting piping. In the drawings, these pipe-like ends are al1 shown as being of the same diameter, although any other suitable sizes and shapes of ends may be utilized as desired. The inlets 44 and 5 and outlets 48 and 5i] communicate with the central valve chamber 52 by way of elongated lports 54, 56, 58 and` GUI, respectively; The'pofrt'58 is of such width thatthisy port 'is completely sealedby the rounded end 28 of the vane 24 when this vane is in the position shown in Fig. 1 and this size relationship is important,`since it eiectivelyprel Vents any air discharged by the heater from entering the cabin when the-vane is irl-tigris posi-1' tion. v

On the other hand, the port E is necessarily 24 and I have found it convenient to make this port 56 approximately twice the Width ofthe port .5&. The `ports 54 and 6B are illustrated as bei-ng-otsiibstantially the sainev width as. the port. 58, althoiigh thefexactwidth of the ports 54 Yand Bil is'not'critical`as these portsare never closed by the. curved. end 28 ofthe. vane andthe Width oitheg portsv 5i and B0 may `ovary withinv limits he. naftei Vexplained. .y

,Y A phen. it is desired to supplyno Ventilating air tothe cabin or other space and. most eiectively tor'fprotectuthis lcabin k or space against carbon monoxide gases issuing roin the aircraft' heater, the vane 2li is'shiited to thefposition' shown in Fig. l1." In this position the air from the heater isl discharged overboard, since. the heated air inlet 46 is in open communication with the overboard outlet 5S'. At the same time the port 58, whichconects the cabin outlet llfwith the centrallvalvechaniber 52, isw completely sealed by the rpurided'fend Y23 of thefva'ne 24 so that a dirblfe'fprteetionjis I'J'ro'videdl 'against the entry o"'cfontarn`inate`d airfinto.' the vaircraft cabin. Since thair irmA the aircraft heater is in free communication withA atmosphere through the 'overboz'trd` outlet '59, there is noheated air under piessurein Vcli'ainber 52 tto' create leakage around the'jcurvednd 'of the vane and into the cabin ports8hs n.

f It 'itis desired to. admit only atmospheric air to`th`ecabinifthe vaneiriszrotated in a counterclockwise directionthrough an angle of 35 from thje position shovv'n infFig. `1 to that Shown in Fi'g. f5..` Inthi'sfpsition'ofthe vane,`the cold air K4 'i'sin open communication with the cabin Outlfediand A'an-y ar given off bythe heater is discharged overboard, since the heated air inlet 45 is in' op'ericommunication with the overboard outlet55."f"' .'l

V` When it is, desired to temper the atmospheric air with air from thev aircraft heater, the vane 2B may be moved in a countercllockw'ise direction through another 25"t0 the position shown in Fig; 4:"In' this position, dne end of the vane'424 bmcts' the cold air inlet port 54' s'o' that half of this air Yflows to the cabn'and the otherhalf is d'rschargedloverboard. The other end oi' the Vane r.ffalso'hisects "the heated air port 56; so that hal'fofrthe heated'air flows to the cabin and the ther-naif 11's''discharged overboard. AThis position 'of' the: vane V24 'indicates' the importance of haring y tl'iejheated' air 'port 56 wider' than the rounded end ofthevane.' f 'v 'f Further'move'ment of the v'anefin a counterclockwise "direction throughfan additional 20 brings thevane to thefpsition 4shown in Fig. 3, where'cnly 'heated 'air isisupplied tothe cabin The vane may be shifted in either direction from the position shown in Fig. 4 to supply any desired ratio of cold and heated air to the cabin to provide 4any desired temperature conditions therein.

' This Figa-i indicates quite clearly the preferred relationship between the widths of the ports 54 much wider than the rounded endorthe V-ane v and and the widths of the narrow end and rounded end of the vane 24. These elements are preferably so made that whenever the rounded end of the. vane dividesthe air. between the overboard outlet and the cabin outlet, the oppositeror thin edge of the vane should. divide. the cold air in inverse proportionsbetween the overboard and cabin outlets. The particular position of the overboard.` port shown in the drawings is not critical, as this part could be shifted .in a. counter-clockwise direction until the lefthand edge of this port would be just tothe rightv of the thin. edge of the vane when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 1. Such a shiftiny the posi-tion of the port 60 wouldnotchange'the operation of the Valve. Similarly, the width of this port cot'rld be increased in. a counter-clockwise direction to the same extentY without changing the operation of the valve.

Various other changes andA modifications could be made without departing from the scope. of my invention, and itis to be understoody that my invention includes all modi-cationsyvariations and equivalents coming within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A, -fou-r-way valve of the class, described, comprisinga body havingY a cylindrical chamber therein-, an inlet port for connecting said chamber with. a source of cold.-V air, a heated air inlet port for said chamber substantially co-axialwith said cold air inlet port, said.- heated air inlet port being substantiallyv wider in a cireumierential direction than said cold air inlet port, a cabin outletA portposi-tioned Vat an ang-1e to the axis of said heatedair-port, a discharge porthaving an axis located at an` angle to the axis of said heated. air port,I saidA discharge port and cabin outlet port being; arranged on opposite sides of. saidrheated air port, a light weight, inexpensivev vane rotatable in said body and havin-g opposite ends closely adjacent the wall ofA said cylindrical chamber, said vane being termed of sheet metal and having a narrow end, and a broad end adapted, completely toelose said cabin outlet port, and means for shifting said vane: to. didier-'ent positions in. said body to variablyregulate new through said ports- 2. A four-way valve of, .the class described.. comprising a body having. ,a cylindrical chamber therein, aninlet port for. connecting said chamber with a source of cold air,I a heated air inlet portier-,said chamber substantially co-axial with said cold air inlet port, said heated air inlet port.- being substantially rtwice aswide in a circumferentialI direction as said cold air vinlet port, a cabin outletport positioned` at anangle to-the axis of said 'heated air-port, a .discharge port having. an

axis located at an angle to the axis of said heated air port, said discharge port and cabin outlet port being arranged on opposite sides of said heated air port and having substantially the same Width as said cold air inlet port, a light Weight, inexpensive vane rotatable in said body and having opposite ends closely adjacent the wall of said cylindrical chamber, one of said ends being narrow and the other being of holloW rounded construction and of suitable Width completely to close said cabin outlet port, and means for shifting said vane to diierent positions in said body to variably regulate flow through said ports.

3. A four-way valve of the class described, comprising a body having a .cylindrical chamber therein, a rst port for said chamber, a second port for said chamber substantially co-axial With said first port, said second port being substantially twice as wide in a circumferential direction as said rst port, a third port positioned at an angle to the axis of said second port, a fourth port having an axis located at an angle to the axis of said second port, said fourth port and third port being arranged on opposite sides of said second port and having substantially the same Width as said iirst port, a light Weight, inexpensive Vane rotatable in said body, said Vane being formed of reversely bent sheet metal and having opposite ends closely adjacent the Wall of said cylindrical chamber, one of said ends being rounded and of suitable Width completely to close said third port, said ports being unequally spaced about said cylindrical chamber and said second port being wider than said rounded end, and means for shifting said Vane to diferent positions in said bodyl to variably regulate ow through said ports.

JOHN B. WHITTED. 

